KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 – Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was ordered to come to court on Feb 17 to answer allegation that he offered RM100 million to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman to party-hop in 2008.
This arose when the High Court this afternoon allowed Anifah’s bid to insert the allegation into his statement of defence against Anwar’s RM100 million defamation suits against him. Anifah previously testified during the suit’s trial that businessman Datuk Ishak Ismail, an alleged close associate of Anwar, offered him RM100 million to entice ten Sabah lawmakers to join Pakatan Rakyat following the 12th general elections in 2008.
Hearing of Anwar’s legal action against Anifah originally ended last month when Anifah called his last defence witness, Umno supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi. Judicial commissioner Siti Khadijah S. Hassan Badjenid however did not allow Anifah’s application to include allegation of Anwar’s homosexuality in the newly-amended statement of defence.
“It would have been highly-prejudicial,” she said of the second allegation after hearing submissions from both parties during today’s hearing of Anifah’s application to amend his statement of defence. Siti Khadijah ordered Anifah to pay RM3,000 in cost to Anwar and fixed Feb 17 to recall Anwar to court to reply the RM100 million offer allegation.
Counsel Razlan Hadri appeared for Anwar while Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah headed Anifah’s legal team. Anwar’s suit against the Kimanis parliamentarian was over the latter’s statement made during a press conference with then-United States secretary of state Hillary Clinton at Washington, United States in May 2009. The suit was filed on May 27 the same year.
